Brazil v Chile: Americas Rugby Championship 2017

The Americas Rugby Championship will feature matches between Argentina XV, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Uruguay and the United States. These matches will begin on Friday, February 3 and end on March 4.

This weekend’s matches will feature Brazil hosting Chile in the opening ARC 2017 match at Pacaembu Stadium in Sáo Paulo, Brazil. The match will kick off at 8:15pm local time (5:15pm ET) and be broadcast on ESPN Brazil. The match will also be steamed on ESPN3 (http://www.watchespn.com).

On Saturday, February 4, the USA Men’s Eagles will play Uruguay at 3pm CT (4pm ET) at Toyota Field in San Antonio, Texas. The match is being broadcast on The Rugby Channel (http://www.therugbychannel.tv).

Brazil coach Rodolfo Ambrosio has selected a squad of 26 players for the opening match on February 3 against Chile at the Estádio do Pacaembu, while yesterday announcing his match day team.

Last year the Os Tupos were defeated by Chile 25-22 and this year’s match promises to be close as well.

Nick Smith will captain the side at No.8, with former captain João Luiz da Ros at Flanker along with André Arruda. The experienced forward pack has locks Diego López and Lucas Piero providing stability and lineout process. The front row adds youth at loosehead prop in Alexandre Alvea with more experience with Yan Rosetti and Wilton Rebolo at hooker and tight head prop, respectively.

In the backs, Moisés Duque will start at center and will be kicking at goal. Daniel Sancery will be the other center, while bother Felipe Sancery will attack from fullback. Beukes Cremer and New Zealand born Josh Reenes, who will earn his first test cap, will be the scrumhalf-flyhalf combination. De Wet Van Niekerk and Stefano Giantorno will man the wings.

There have been few changes made to this squad, as most of the group traveled to Germany and Portugal for the November tests. Many also played against Korea in June.

Chile head coach Bernard Charreyre named a 36 player extended squad for the Americas Rugby Championship. Yesterday he selected his match day 23 player squad that will face Brazil. The Los Cóndores begin the ARC with two away matches against Brazil on Friday and then against Canada the following weekend.

The team will be without their European professionals in Ramón Ayarza, Matías Cabrera and Francisco de la Fuente at least for the early matches. Americas Rugby news also indicated that Sebastian Kalm, who played for the Ohio Aviators, and Lindenwoood University, will likely be a candidate to play against Canada in the World Cup qualifiers. If that turns out to be true, he will add both a physical presence and another attacking forward for the USA team. He will also be Chile’s loss.

Claudio Zamorano will captain the team at loosehead prop. He is a converted back row player, who is a threat when he links with the backline. He will be joined by Tomás Dussaullant and José Tomás Munita in the front row.

Nikola Bursic, who played with the San Diego Breakers, will team with Mario Mayol at lock. Expect Anton Petrowitsch, who also plays sevens, to impact the restarts and to provide cohesion as a flanker. He will be joined in the backrow by Cristóbal Niedmann and with Manuel Dagnmo at No. 8.

The scrumhalf-flyhalf combination will have Beltrán Vergara, who debuted at last year’s ARC and has been there since, teaming with Francisco González Moller. The centers will have the dangerous Matías Nordenflycht at inside and Franco Verlade, a sevens player and debutant at outside. Nordenflycht, who has a very accurate boot, also will be kicking at goal. Add wings Martin Verschae and Pedro Verschae with newer player Rodrigo Fernández at fullback.

Three other players can debut should they enter the match. They are Vittorio Lastra, Gonzalo Martínez and Nicanor Machuca.